Ear protecting device



July 27, 1943. M; SAHLMANN EAR PROTECTING DEVICE Fi led May 22, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOI. BY MAX saw W W July 27; 1943. M. SAHLMANN 2,325,150

EAR PROTECTING DEVICE Filed May 22, 1942 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. //4//X Swam /1W Patented July 27, 1943 Y rk; Iiosala Inc.,'New York This inventionrelates to an eari covering-d vice, such as anear mufi, for-protecting the ear against thermal, acoustical andnor other dis turbances. to a device for protecting the ear against cold,"

or to apply to the car an} acoustical device sushi as a telephone, and to'protect it at the same time-against undesired outside noises and sibly cold.

Heretofore, ear muffs were applied to the ear and heldinposition by meanjsof' straps necting a pair of muffs applied to'both" ears.

The same way, earphones were applied to theear-by means of springy metalstraps. Hats'or helmets were also provided flaps to cover: the-ears against-cold onto apply earphones to;

them

vices of this type are applied' to' th'e ear or cars; .It is another object of the invention to construct'earcovering or protecting devices of, the

type concemedjinsuch'a manner that tneycanj be individually each ear. It is. a fur and: independently applied ,to

held firmly in the'irposition 'onfthe car.

a is still a further object of the invention it; render the manufacture oifear 'coverin'gfor pro tecting devices inexpensive and their application to and removal from the .ear simple.

These'and other 'oblectsoi the inventiolijwllli be more clearly understood "when thespciclfl cation proceeds with reference tothe drawlng's' in which Fig. 1' shows a front view of the covering or protecting device applied to an ear, in'

this exemplification of the invention to the left ear, Fig. 2 a cross sectional View along line 22 in Fig. 1, Fig. 3 a back view of the covering or protecting device, Fig. 4 a cross sectional view along line 4-4 in Fig. 3, Fig. 5 a cross sectional view along line 5-5 in Fig. 3, Fig. 6 certain elements of the device seen from its inside, Fig. 7 a cross sectional view similar to that of Fig. 2 of a modification of the invention for applying an earphone, Fig. 8 a cross sectional view of the device similar to that of Fig. 4 with its elements in another relative position, Fig. 9 a view of an element to be used for the purpose of the invention, and Fig. 10 the same element when bent to the shape in which it is finally applied.

The device according to the invention as ex- In' particular, the invention refer-s theriobiect of the invention to, con-.1 struct car covering or protecting. dcv1ce.s... pa i-' ticularly ear. muifs, in, such amanner. thatthfiyl cover the ear'a completely as possible andjare':

It isi'a n'object of the invention to simplify the means "by" which covering or protecting-fle emplifie'd' in the drawings consists substantially of an onter cover 10;"Figs. 1', 2, 4, 5, 1 and-f3, of

flexible material, 4 preferably teretile or fabrie, provided with. a lining H; Figs. 2-to5 ,"'7' and18',-

of similar material on thednside. v

1 A stiff butsQmeWhatelastic C-shaped member'- or bl'ank-lii, Fig. 9, is e. g cut or stamped-from suitable, somewhat elastic sheet material, such as thinand preferably light weight sheet meta/L on fibrous bcardima-terial, e. g; cardboard'or glazed paper, or plastic sheet material, se nas k own.

undertlietrade har'neflueitie," and bent byconmeeting its preferabl1v spaced ndportions I3 I! by suitable means, such as arivet *or eyele't l5, Fig i 1-0, leaving"free an opening- [8"; Thereby tii-eblank it is 'somewhatdeformed' andrnade concave" or convex, as the case may bean-d in;

any-event interior elastic-5 stresses arefcaused the its ccncavelor convex shape. H

els to'bej seengparticularly 'from FigsQB to 5," member IE soben't and stressed .inv its-concave shapeis "covered by'a piecelB- offelt, textile,

-t k t ata t e Ou er, o figura ion! of whi-ch conformsQsubstantialIyfto thatiof bent mem 11 a h ch i jpu at. t v n de to.

larly on 6. 3 '-An-';;overlapping, strip l i fl cv sihe em er" 2' and lining Il by a. scwn seam 29.. VT v The bent member 12 in one. of the two of its rest positions will be concave, asshow'nin; E3 to 5,: an lconvex in. the other. one, asshown .131. i .3..al1d'whenit isjp'resse'd fromfeither siti'on just beyond a plane which can be laid through its outer edge, it will snap into the 0pposite rest position. l When member l2 with cover It occupiesthe concave rest position shown in Figs. 4, 5, any 7 number of such devices can be stacked in a pile and easily shipped. When member l2 with cover HS occupiesits convex outwardly bent position shown in Fig. 8} it is apparent that considerable space isoffered inside the device between member l2 and lining ll so that it can easily be slipped over an ear 2| into a position shown in Fig. 1 and, in dotted lines, in Fig. 2. By pressing the device from the outside against the head, member I2 will be pressed from its convex position' inside, thereby pass a plane laid through its outer edge and tend to snap into its concave rein tending'fto' keep the member either inf p olded cvcri the i ffid fi cove s Jill-and l5. and fastened to outside by cover- 10 and lining H whereby an effective protection of'the ear against thermal portion near its circumference and substantially.

and, if desired, acoustical disturbances from the 4 outside is attained. It is not necessary,'however,

to press the device always against the head into 1 a position as shown inFig. 2 in full lines; satisfactory protection is also afforded in many cases when the device is left in its position and shape as shown in dotted lines on Fig; 2. o

' centends of said member connected so as to re- It will further be appreciated that the device due to its structure and particularly the bent member 12, is firmly held on the ear without resorting to straps reaching over the head which causediscomfort to the wearer, and are expen-.

sive if of.'metal.; It; can be easily slipped over and, removed from anear. Any desired number of individualelements l0,-l!, l2 or [6 can be out or stampedsimultaneously from a pile of proper sheet..material,,assembled and sewn together; Thus, the, manufacture of the device according,

Qtgjthe invention is simple and inexpensive in mass production.

v If it is desired,to convey to the ear acoustical waves or sounds, such as caused by a telephone, the feature according to Fig. can be used to advantage.- There an electro-magnetic telephone 22 ishfastened to the inside of cover 10, I l for instance by means of seam 23, and insulated electric wires 24 are introduced through a hollow projectiondfi of telephone 22 which snugly passes In this case also the a hole*25 in cover l0, H device may either be-applied to and left onthe ear in theconvexshape of member It as indi-. catedin dotted lines in Fig. 7,, or in a stressed position 'oft'h'at member as shown in full lines 'Ifhe cover of fabric protects the ear against disturbing noises and, if it be cold, also against the lattenlj The sounds generated by telephone 22 are directly conveyedto' the ear and there essentially undisturbed reception secured by the device 7 It will be appreciated that the covering or protecting device according to the inventionzcan be stantially comprising a full portion larger than the ear and to form an outer cover thereof, said full portion of'flexible material as exemplified by fabric and felt, another portion provided with an openingthrough which the ear can' be slipped, said other portion tightly attached to said full consisting of fibrous material as exemplified by fabric'and felt, and a fiat and substantially elastic, c-shaped member associated with said other portion, and leaving free its opening, the adjaduce their distance and bend said member, thereby rendering'i'itacapable of transverse snap action. c

21 An ear covering or protecting device, sub

- stantiallycomprising a full portion largerthan the. ear and to form an outer cover thereof, said full portion substantially consisting of fibrous materialas exemplified by fabric and felt, another portion tightly connected with said full portion near its circumference and provided with an ,openingthrough Which the ear can be slipped,

said other ;.portion of fibrous material as exemplified by fabric and felt, and a C-shaped member, of elastic sheet material, as exemplified by a thin, metal sheet, card-boarder plasticsheet material,;the endsof said member connected so as to reduce their; distance and deform it and cause in it elastic stresses, said member associated withsaid other portion so that said member and, other portion are capable of occupying two positions, one being concave and the other one convex, and if pressed from one ofsaid positions beyond aplane laid through theouter circumference of said member tend to occupy said other. position by transverse snap action.

, 3. An ear. covering or protectingv device, sube the ear-and to .forman'outercover thereof,,said

applied individually to each ear,. and closely and firmly jadheres tofit. The device encloses T the cares fullyand tightly as "desired, and requires the least ,possible space for storing and shippin not limited to .anyparticular feature and material as hereinbefore described byway of. ex-

lt should be" understood that the invention is;

full portion of flexible material as exemplified by fabric and felt, another portion provided with anopening through which the ear can he slipped,

said ,other portion tightly-attached to said full portion near its circumference and substantially consisting of fibrous ,material as exemplified by fabric and felt, and; a ffiat and substantially elastic, C-shaped member associated with said other portion and. leaving ,free its opening, rthezadia-- cent endsj ofv said member made to overlap one another and connected so as todeform it .and

cause in-it elastic stressesrenderi ng it capable of transverse snap action. 7 V a I MAX SAHLMANN. 

